Walker: Pride is at stake in dogfight

RICHARD WALKER admits he is in a no-lose situation after joining Wrexham on loan from Port Vale, but for professional pride he will do everything in his power to help the Dragons move away from the League Two trap door.

RICHARD WALKER admits he is in a no-lose situation after joining Wrexham on loan from Port Vale, but for professional pride he will do everything in his power to help the Dragons move away from the League Two trap door.

Walker joined the Dragons on the same day as Hartlepool striker Michael Proctor and Carlisle goalkeeper Anthony Williams, and is one of a host of loan players cash-strapped Wrexham have had to plump for after an injury and suspension crisis over the course of the season.

But now Walker is at the Racecourse he is determined to give his all and help Wrexham pull away from Conference Football.

"I’ve still got another year on my contract with Port Vale and from my point of view I’m in a no-lose situation because come what may I’ll be back at Port Vale," said the defender.

"But there’s professional pride at stake and there’s also the chance to be part of something really special and help Wrexham to safety and finish as high as possible.

"This is a great chance for me to get some more games under my belt, but it’s not about that, because I know just how big this club is and what it means to people in the area.

"When you come to a club that is down towards the bottom of the league, you expect to come in and find the players are low on confidence and that morale is really low, but it is the total opposite here at Wrexham.

"It is a fantastic club and speaking to the lads they are really up for the fight. I don’t think anyone expected Wrexham to be where they are in the league – I mean they’ve got players here with international experience.

"But the main thing is that we need to keep on working hard, and I’m sure that as long as we do put the work in we will move away from the bottom."

Walker, 26, started his professional career at Crewe and spent five months on loan at Northwich. In May last year he joined Port Vale on a free transfer, where he made 17 appearances before joining Wrexham.

He admitted himself he has been struggling with a knee strain, but has recovered and is back to full fitness.

And so far it is going well for the Stafford-born defender, who played his part in Wrexham’s 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers last Saturday.

He said: "Results wise it was huge for us, it couldn’t have gone any better. We kept a clean sheet and got the three points, and you can’t really do any better than that.

"As a defender you are always aiming at a clean sheet and we couldn’t really have asked for any more than that. Personally I think I did okay, but it’s not about that, it is about the team."

And despite Wrexham’s lowly position, Walker admitted he had grown quite fond of his temporary home.

"I’ve still got another season at Port Vale, but who knows what’s going to happen in the summer?

"Like I said I can’t speak highly enough about this club. The facilities here are fantastic, but also the players and the management team are superb and everyone is pulling in the same direction."

In a bid to boost ticket sales, admission is #5 for all parts of the ground, but only for tickets bought in advance.

And the incentive has proved very welcome with the fans as The Mold Road Stand is now sold out for unreserved seating. There are tickets still available for the other three sides of the ground, and the office will be open until 6pm tomorrow night. Alternatively ring the club to book your tickets in advance.

Cash sales will still be taken on the day of the game, but at normal prices, and there will be no cash sales for the Eric Roberts Builders Stand on Saturday.